The invention relates to a braking device for an automotive vehicle fitted with a machine likely to operate as an electric motor for driving the vehicle, fed with power from a suitable source of electrical energy and as a generator of electric power likely to be transferred to the said source during braking periods and with an electric device for controlling the said machine in accordance with operations of the driver of the vehicle, the said braking device being of the type comprising mechanical braking means which comprise a brake pedal having a pedal body pivotally mounted on a structure of the support made fast with the vehicle and a portion forming a pad for actuating the pedal, and electrical braking means having a movable member likely to be operated by the driver and with which is associated a means for generating control signals for the electric device with a view to transfer energy to the said source of energy.
It is known that the driving of a vehicle moved by an electric motor differs a little from that of a vehicle driven by a conventional engine. The driver has at his disposal an acceleration pedal and the aforesaid brake pedal. The action upon the acceleration pedal allows to progressively increase the speed of the motor by increasing the rate of electric power supplied to the motor. By lifting the foot from the accelerator the driver produces a motor braking effect. The machine then operates as a current generator feeding its energy as electric power into the source of energy provided on board the vehicle.
To increase the braking of the vehicle the driver would operate the brake pedal. In the case of the known devices the pedal as a whole forms both the mechanical and electrical braking means.
Therefore the actuation of the brake pedal would simultaneously produce an electrical braking effect and a mechanical braking effect.
The major inconvenience of the known braking devices is due to the fact that in view of the simultaneous actions of the mechanical braking and of the electrical braking all the kinetic energy is not recovered during the braking phase or step.